Pacific 2011: B.B. King, Walter Trout close it out

Delve into history books about the blues and you'll find that most legends are long gone. Many of them – Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Memphis Slim, just to name a few – passed on well before some of us even entered this world.

Though the blues has kept on truckin', the decades haven't exactly been kind to its later giants: Jimi Hendrix died too soon in 1970, Stevie Ray Vaughan met his tragic end 20 years later. These days, though the real sound continues to thrive at small-scale festivals nationwide, so often I meet "blues fans" who couldn't name one player aside from young bucks like Jack White and Dan Auerbach.

Yet through it all, there's been one man, "the undisputed King of the Blues," who hasn't – and simply won't – quit: B.B. King, who at 85 is still strong enough, wily enough and dedicated enough to tour the world year after year.

Who could have been better to close out Pacific Amphitheatre's five-week-long Summer Concert Series with a nearly sold-out show Sunday night?

"I'll be 86 next month … if I live that long," he announced with a straight face, easing into a jazz-steeped version of the night's intro tune, "Rock Me Baby."

Those unfamiliar with King's sense of humor might interpret that as a bit morbid, but those who have seen him play before – who have listened to his sly storytelling between still-dexterous riff-making – know better.

"There's a lady over there dancing – that's what I'm talking about," he continued, letting a grin crawl across his face. To widespread catcalls and excited cheers, he delivered his punch line: "I'll be 86 … but I ain't dead yet."

With suave lines like these scattered throughout the night, it was plain to see that King, customarily planted in a center-stage chair in front of his seven-piece outfit, hasn't lost any of his fiery personality. Unlike other elder musicians still trying to do their thing – take 84-year-old Chuck Berry, for a rather sad example – King has kept up his panache and proficiency over the years.

On rousing renditions of old fare such as "Everyday I Have the Blues," "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" and "The Thrill Is Gone," King's voice rang out like a lion's roar, dipping into a sultry growl for cheer-inducing lines like "I want you to rock me, baby, like my back ain't got no bone."

His intermittent soloing (he never just chugs out chords) was often calculated, sparse and slow, though obviously more by choice than out of physical necessity. His fretwork was as lithe and lean as Buddy Guy's on the upbeat U2-penned cut "When Love Comes to Town," and though his band members took most of the evening's more adventurous solos, there was never a moment when King wasn't at least jivin' from his chair, busting a mean dance move or starting a venue-wide hand-clap.

It was during one of the latter instances (two verses into "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother") that the power of the master's performance hit home. As audience members took up the sexy, slow beat with their claps, King was overcome by the enthusiasm.

"Oh my God, you're clappin' so good... I think ill leave it right there." And with that, King directed his band into the song's last crescendo and swingin' finish, perfectly harnessing one of the evening's finer moments.

Even as time threatens his livelihood (may his health last him many more years), the fervent faith of his fans – and the communal sense of overcoming hard times that still defines the spirit of the blues – will keep his music alive and kickin' for decades to come.

In that same reverent vein, the crowd stayed on its feet, dancing and cheering, for the bulk of locally-bred opening act Walter Trout's set. "Anyone out there from Huntington Beach?" he asked, receiving huge rounds of applause.

Where King's style is tempered and smooth, Trout's is ambitious and rowdy, with a clear influence of Vaughan and Hendrix blaring through ripping solos on the highlight "Say Goodbye to the Blues" (written for Vaughan after he died but dedicated this night to late guitarist Jeff Healey). Tales of blues greats may fade into obscurity. But it's because of the tradition-preserving work of invigorating artists like Trout that the genre refuses to die.

Setlist: B.B. King at Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, Aug. 14, 2011

Intro / Rock Me Baby / Everyday I Have the Blues / Key to the Highway / See That My Grave Is Kept Clean / When Love Comes to Town / Nobody Loves Me But My Mother / Guess Who / The Thrill Is Gone / You Are My Sunshine

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